Central Sierra Nevada

Some wet snow may form on sunny slopes as the day warms up, but not enough for large sluffs of wet snow. Avalanches are unlikley. Make travel plans that focus on places and conditions that match your group's skills and goals.

Normal caution

A well-consolidated snowpack with variable surface conditions exists across the forecast area. Decreased winds, slightly warmer daytime highs, and sunshine should allow more warming than yesterday. Wet snow could form on sunny SE-S-SW aspects at more elevations today. Minor amounts of wet snow may exist on other sun-exposed slopes. Still, the sun remains weak and low, and temperatures are not that warm. Places that do not get direct sun and some upper elevation slopes may remain mostly frozen. Today's warming should not create enough wet snow for much more than small roller balls or pinwheels. Problematic avalanche activity will remain unlikely. 

Travel plans with appropriate safety margins are still a good idea during LOW avalanche danger. Talk with your partners to understand your group's skills and goals. Then create a travel plan focused on terrain and conditions that represent a good fit for those skills and goals. As always, move in ways that minimize exposure to avalanche hazards like traveling one at a time in avalanche terrain and regrouping in safe zones out of avalanche terrain and runout zones.

Recent Observations:

* Variable snow surface conditions exist across the forecast area including firm ice, unconsolidated snow on top of supportable crusts, wind-packed surfaces, wind-scoured surfaces, breakable crusts, and spring-like melt/freeze snow.

* Large cornices exist along many ridgelines. Some of these have deep fissures behind them where they have pulled away from the ridge.